Alaska News

Veterans Affairs secretary to visit Alaska in August

The nation's top official for veterans affairs will travel to Alaska in August to attend the Alaska Native Health Board's annual "Mega Meeting," according to the Department of Veterans Affairs and health board.

Karina Petersen, Alaska communications director for Sen. Lisa Murkowski, said the Alaska congressional delegation received a courtesy travel notification this week about VA Secretary Robert McDonald's visit, though she said she was told his schedule could change.

According to the travel notification, McDonald will meet with VA staff in Anchorage on Aug. 11 and attend the Alaska Native Health Board meeting. On Aug. 12, he will visit Point Hope and Kotzebue. The following day, he will host a stakeholder lunch at the Alaska VA Healthcare System and attend additional meetings, including a town hall, the notification said.

Alaska Public Media first reported McDonald's visit to Alaska on Tuesday.

The Alaska VA Healthcare System posted a flier Friday on its Facebook page announcing a public meeting with McDonald. The meeting is scheduled for Aug. 13 from 5 to 6 p.m. at the Menard Memorial Sports Center in Wasilla, the VA said.

The Alaska VA did not respond to requests for comment Thursday. Derek Martin, Kotzebue city manager, said he did not have additional details on McDonald's trip.

McDonald's visit to Alaska comes roughly three weeks before President Barack Obama is scheduled to arrive in Anchorage. Earlier this month, presidential teams arrived in Kotzebue and Dillingham to scope out the towns.

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Verdie Bowen, director of Alaska's Office of Veterans Affairs, said it's important that McDonald travel to rural Alaska during his visit so that he can better understand the geographical challenges the state faces when delivering health care. Alaska is home to more than 73,000 veterans.

To serve veterans living in remote rural communities, Alaska's VA has partnered with tribal health programs, paying their facilities to treat veterans. The state's VA also sends some veterans to other partnering programs, like the Anchorage Neighborhood Health Center, in urban parts of the state.

However, following a national scandal over mismanaged facilities and hidden wait lists that shook the VA, Congress created a nationwide program that allowed veterans with a "Choice Card" to get treatment outside the VA system if they faced wait times of more than 30 days or lived more than 40 miles away from a VA facility.

Alaska's congressional delegation and veterans have spoken out against this program, saying it has threatened Alaska's existing VA network.

"We're kind of getting forced into this Choice program," said Andy Teuber, chairman and president of Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium. "Despite the fact that we have these sharing agreements in place already, the tribal organizations would have to enroll in this Choice program, which is a step backward for us."

"We want to communicate our message to our secretary," he said.

Verne Boerner, president and chief executive officer of the Alaska Native Health Board, said the board, considered the statewide voice on Alaska Native health issues, will have positions on veterans issues to share with the secretary during his visit. Boerner said the chair of the board invited McDonald to the August meeting at a national conference and later by letter.

Matt Shuckerow, Rep. Don Young's spokesperson, said in an email that Young hoped McDonald would "see first-hand the issues facing Alaska's veterans, given the unique challenges we face with provider availability and market conditions."

"As the VA moves forward from its current shortcomings, Congressman Young believes it's imperative that the Secretary consider the chronic provider vacancy and turnover in Alaskan facilities, and consider the expansion of many essential programs and partnerships veterans from across Alaska rely on," Shuckerow said.

Murkowski and Sen. Dan Sullivan could not be reached for comment.

Tegan Hanlon

Tegan Hanlon was a reporter for the Anchorage Daily News between 2013 and 2019. She now reports for Alaska Public Media.

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